For many years fire suppression and extinguishing systems have protected motor vehicles, railcars and aircraft. In the last two decades, fire suppression systems have been affixed to off-road vehicles used to transport molten slag and steel, as well as vehicles used in the mining industry. Examples of such vehicles are front end loaders, ladle carriers and pot carriers.
The fire suppression systems available for these off-road vehicles have been limited to the use of dry chemical powder materials to extinguish a fire when it occurs. One example of a fire suppression system is a system that pipes the dry chemical powder material to the motor compartment area of these types of vehicles. When the system is activated by the operator, the system discharges all of the stored dry powder chemical agent in its entirety, leaving none to use later. The hydraulic control areas, lines, vehicle tires, and the operator remained unprotected by the current systems. No provision is made to provide for the safe escape of the operator should a fire or high heat situation occur. Also, most dry chemical powders are hazardous to the environment, will not prevent surfaces from supporting combustion and will not rapidly cool superheated materials.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for preventing and suppressing fire damage to a vehicle which operates in a high heat and flammable environment.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for protecting an operator of a vehicle which operates in a high heat and flammable environment.
The present invention is a fire suppression and heat protection system for a vehicle. The system includes a fire suppression unit for preventing and extinguishing a fire; a fire escape unit for providing a safe escape path from the vehicle for an operator of the vehicle; a operator cab protection unit for protecting the operator while in a cab of the vehicle; and a tire protection unit for protecting tires of the vehicle during operation of the vehicle in hot and flammable environments. Each unit utilizes a liquid surfactant based wetting agent to extinguish fire and protect the operator and vehicle from fire and heat.